The 4th International PhD Student Cancer Conference was held at the IFOM-IEO-Campus in Milan from 19-21 May 2010 http://www.semm.it/events_researchPast.phpThe Conference covered many topics related to cancer, from basic biology to clinical aspects of the disease. All attendees presented their research, by either giving a talk or presenting a poster. This conference is an opportunity to introduce PhD students to top cancer research institutes across Europe.THE CORE PARTICIPANTING INSTITUTES INCLUDED: European School of Molecular Medicine (SEMM)-IFOM-IEO Campus, MilanBeatson Institute for Cancer Research (BICR), GlasgowCambridge Research Institute (CRI), Cambridge, UKMRC Gray Institute of Radiation Biology (GIROB), OxfordLondon Research Institute (LRI), LondonPaterson Institute for Cancer Research (PICR), ManchesterThe Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam'You organizers have crushed all my prejudices towards Italians. Congratulations, I enjoyed the conference immensely!' Even if it might have sounded like rudeness for sure this was supposed to be a genuine compliment (at least, that's how we took it), also considering that it was told by a guy who himself was the fusion of two usually antithetical concepts: fashion style and English nationality.The year 2010 has marked an important event for Italian research in the international scientific panorama: the European School of Molecular Medicine (SEMM) had the honour to host the 4th International PhD Student Cancer Conference, which was held from 19-21 May 2010 at the IFOM-IEO-Campus (http://www.semm.it/events_researchPast.php) in Milan.The conference was attended by more than one hundred students, coming from a selection of cutting edge European institutes devoted to cancer research. The rationale behind it is the promotion of cooperation among young scientists across Europe to debate about science and to exchange ideas and experiences. But that is not all, it is also designed for PhD students to get in touch with other prestigious research centres and to create connections for future post docs or job experiences. And last but not least, it is a golden chance for penniless PhD students to spend a couple of extra days visiting a foreign country (this motivation will of course never be voiced to supervisors).The network of participating institutes has a three-nation core, made up of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, the Italian European School of Molecular Medicine (SEMM) and five UK Cancer Research Institutes (The London Research Institute, The Cambridge Research Institute, The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow, The Patterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester and the MRC Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology in Oxford).The conference is hosted and organised every year by one of the core institutes; the first was in Cambridge in 2007, Amsterdam in 2008 and London in 2009, this year was the turn of Milan.In addition to the core institutes, PhD students from several other high-profile institutes are invited to attend the conference. This year participants applied from the Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO, Madrid), the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ, Heidelberg), the European Molecular Biology Labs (EMBL, Heidelberg) and the San Raffaele Institute (HSR, Milan). Moreover four 'special guests' from the National Centre for Biological Sciences of Bangalore (India) attended the conference in Milan. This represents a first step in widening the horizons beyond Europe into a global worldwide network of talented PhD students in life sciences.The conference spread over two and a half days (Wednesday 19th to Friday 21st May) and touched on a broad spectrum of topics: from basic biology to development, from cancer therapies to modelling and top-down new generation global approaches. The final selection of presentations has been a tough task for us organisers (Chiara Segré, Federica Castellucci, Francesca Milanesi, Gianluca Varetti and Gian Maria Sarra Ferraris), due to the high scientific level of the abstracts submitted. In the end, 26 top students were chosen to give a 15-min oral presentation in one of eight sessions: Development & Differentiation, Cell Migration, Immunology & Cancer, Modelling & Large Scale approaches, Genome Instability, Signal Transduction, Cancer Genetics & Drug Resistance, Stem Cells in Biology and Cancer.The scientific programme was further enriched by two scientific special sessions, held by Professor Pier Paolo di Fiore and Dr Giuseppe Testa, Principal Investigators at the IFOM-IEO-Campus and by a bioethical round table on human embryonic stem cell research moderated by Silvia Camporesi, a senior PhD student in the SEMM PhD Programme 'Foundation of Life Science and their Bioethical Consequences'.ON TOP OF EVERYTHING, WE HAD THE PLEASURE OF INVITING, AS KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, TWO LEADING EUROPEAN SCIENTISTS IN THE FIELDS OF CANCER INVASION AND BIOLOGY OF STEM CELLS, RESPECTIVELY: Dr Peter Friedl from The Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life (The Netherlands) and Professor Andreas Trumpp from The Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (Heidelberg).All the student talks have distinguished themselves for the impressive quality of the science; an encouraging evidence of the high profile level of research carried out in Europe. It would be beyond the purposes of this report to summarise all 26 talks, which touched many different and specific topics. For further information, the Conference Abstract book with all the scientific content is available on the conference Web site (http://www.semm.it/events_researchPast.php). In what follows, the special sessions and the keynote lectures will be discussed in detail.

A 3-month-old male patient presented to the maxillofacial department in Al-Amiri Dental Center, Kuwait, with a facial deformity. There was no family history of any systemic illness or abnormalities nor consanguinity. On examination; the patient had a transverse incomplete facial cleft on the right cheek, the maxilla and the upper lip were duplicated and translocated to the right lower jaw and lip, with all components of mucosa as well as a complete compliment of deciduous teeth. There was unilateral macrosomia as well as cleft of the secondary palate and triple uvulae. The mandible had restricted mobility. Photographs and a Computerized Axial tomogram (CAT scan) were taken and a complete work up to exclude congenital cardiac disease was also done. The surgical approach, and possible future operations were explained in detail and discussed with the parents. Their consent was taken.

Predominant approaches to teen pregnancy focus on decreasing numbers of teen mothers, babies born to them, and state dollars spent to support their families. This overshadows the structural violence interwoven into daily existence for these young parents. This paper argues for the increased use of participatory visual methods to compliment traditional research methods in shifting notions of what counts as evidence in response to teen pregnancy and parenting. We present the methods and results from a body mapping workshop as part of 'Hear Our Stories: Diasporic Youth for Sexual Rights and Justice', a project that examines structural barriers faced by young parenting Latinas and seeks to develop relevant messaging and programming to support and engage youth. Body mapping, as an engaging, innovative participatory visual methodology, involves young parenting women and other marginalised populations in drawing out a deeper understanding of sexual health inequities. Our findings highlight the ways body mapping elicits bodies as evidence to understand young motherhood and wellbeing.

Imagine you could reduce complaints in your institution from 2.5 to .5 per 1,000 patient encounters, while simultaneously increasing patient compliments from .5 to 5.1 per 1,000 patients. Imagine that you could have 10 times as many delighted customers as complainers. In fact, that's what happened at Inova Fairfax Hospital's Department of Emergency Medicine, Falls Church, VA.

Reciprocation of monetary gifts is well-understood in economics. In contrast, there is little research on reciprocal behavior following immaterial gifts like compliments. We narrow this gap and investigate how employees reciprocate after receiving immaterial gifts and material gifts over time. We purchase (1) ice cream from fast food restaurants, and (2) durum doner, a common lunch snack, from independent vendors. Prior to the food's preparation, we either compliment or tip the salesperson. We find that salespersons reciprocate compliments with higher product weight than in a control treatment. Importantly, this reciprocal behavior following immaterial gifts grows over repeated transactions. Tips, in contrast, have a stronger level effect which does not change over time.

Cell proliferation, as determined by immunoreactivity to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was investigated during early hindbrain development in Alligator. At the earliest stage examined, stage 3, when five rhombomeres are present, PCNA immunoreactivity is more robust laterally towards the pial margin and interrhombomeric boundaries are clearly seen. Subsequently, PCNA immunoreactivity fills each respective rhombomere and increases in intensity but respects the boundaries between segments until stage 7. At this time, borders between rhombomeres become less distinct. At stage 8, when the full compliment of rhombomeres is present, two longitudinal columns of PCNA immunoreactivity are seen rostrally which coalesce into a single column caudally. Interrhombomeric borders are indistinct. Later, at stage 9/10, two longitudinal columns span the entire length of the hindbrain and interrhombomeric boundaries remain less clear. The more lateral column fades whereas the medial stripe persists through stage 12. Thereafter, immunoreactivity fades. These observations confirm the findings in other species that rhombomeres are centers of cell proliferation. This feature is most likely common to hindbrain development in all gnathostomes. It is hypothesized that these two longitudinal columns of cell proliferation might be important for future patterning of the hindbrain.

OBJECTIVE

To ascertain informative value of immunological diagnosis of B19 parvovirus in combination with polymerase chain reaction (PCR); to analyse frequency of development of secondary autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) in immunodeficient patients as a result of virus persistence--persistent infection eliminated only by treatment causing suppression of erythropoiesis.

METHODS

B19 parvovirus detection was performed in blood serum of 207 subjects: 144 patients with anemia (Hb < 100 g/1) and 500 blood donors. DNA of parvovirus B19 was detected in the sera by PCR, antibodies to this virus--by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). IgG, IgM, IgA and components of compliment Clq, C3 on the surface of erythrocytes were detected by EIA in anemic patients.

RESULTS

Parvovirus infection was registered in 30% patients, in 70% the infection was persistent. The latter were diagnosed to have secondary AIHA.

CONCLUSIONS

Combined application of PCR and EIA extends potentialities of diagnosis of infection caused by B19 parvovirus. Persistence of the parvovirus provokes onset of symptomatic hemolytic anemia in immunodeficient patients.

Complete blood counts (CBCs) were performed on 215 out-of-treatment injecting and noninjecting drug users participating in a federally sponsored human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk-reduction program in Houston, Texas. A substantial proportion of patients/clients were found to be suffering from varying degrees of anemia and other hematological conditions. Anemia is known to affect cognitive skills such as the ability to concentrate and process information. This impairment can limit the effectiveness of drug intervention and treatment, even among those users eager to participate in intervention or treatment programs. Consideration of substance users' physical condition as manifested by hematological measures can provide an important compliment to health behavioral models that stress cognitive functioning without consideration of the underlying physical processes involved.

"The goal of community health teams is to develop and implement care models that integrate clinical and community health promotion and preventive services for patients." -Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)1 Eleven community health teams (CHTs) operate in various geographies within Rhode Island. Physicians and payers refer their highest-risk patients to CHTs that serve as community extenders. Community health workers and others work to link referred individuals to primary care and work to address the other determinants affecting their health, such as safe housing. Since much of health is driven by factors outside of the healthcare setting, CHTs compliment the work of physicians within the office environment. Transforming practices and addressing both the physical and behavioral needs of patients simultaneously is key to CHT success. This article attempts to quantify the expanding need for CHTs within Rhode Island and describes ways in which CHTs as a practice transformation resource may be leveraged by providers. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2016-10.asp].

The authors explored affect and behavioral involvement (gaze, talk time, and speaking turns) in spousal complaints and compliments, relating these constructs to current and longitudinal relational well-being. Participants were 65 married couples. Concurrent relational well-being was higher when partners negotiated (a) complaints with less negative affect, more gaze, less wife talk time, and more husband talk time and (b) compliments with less negative affect and more husband gaze. Husbands' satisfaction decreased over time when they experienced more negative affect while complimenting. Both spouses' satisfaction decreased over time when either partner, especially wives, took more speaking turns complaining. Partial support for the sentiment-override effect is discussed, but findings went beyond the effect to demonstrate contingent affect when responding to spousal behaviors.

BACKGROUND

Computer technology is now a well established resource in medicine and medical sciences. Surgery in developed countries has taken great advantage of this resource. This review is intended to highlight important aspects of computers in surgery and also encourages surgeons in Nigeria to acquaint themselves with its influences.

METHODS

Publications from local and international journals as well as standard surgical texts were reviewed.

RESULTS

The role of computers in surgery spans the areas of patient care, training, research, communication as well as surgical administration. Though a compliment to the surgeon, it has its problems including overwhelming information requiring careful scrutiny; computer fraud, hacking and viruses; copyright laws; the 'threat' of a well-informed patient population; and the risk of over dependence. Surgery in Nigeria and most of African is yet to maximize its benefits.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of computers in surgery will in the near future make surgical knowledge and practice become more simplified and less time with increased productivity will be required even for highly technical procedures.

Objective Analysis of the development of psychiatric attitude research in Germany over the past 50 years. Methods Historical overview based on systematic reviews of population-based studies. Results In the beginning, public attitudes towards people with mental disorders and towards psychiatry were studied from a sociological perspective, later on research was guided by a social psychological or individual psychological approach. This provided important insights into processes underlying the stigma of mental illness (e. g., role of labeling, causal attributions, beliefs into a continuum between mental health and illness, prevalence estimates etc.). Substantial contributions have also been made as regards the study of time trends in public attitudes and beliefs about mental illness, the investigation of the impact of the media on public attitudes, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of anti-stigma and awareness programs. Conclusion Despite these undisputable advancements it is about time to compliment the individual by a societal perspective. This appears particularly necessary in view of current trends in Germany towards sociopolitical radicalization.

The maternity Friends and family test (FFT) in England offers midwives some insight into how women and their families feel about local maternity care provision. The way the questions are posed should be easy for women to understand and therefore respond. Heads of Midwifery (HoMs) will use the feedback in a dynamic way to learn from the women's perspective how it was for them and continually improve services. There is no better compliment that midwives and HoMS can receive, if the majority of their women feed back that they are amongst the best and "extremely likely" to recommend the local maternity service to their friends and family.